Man with same name as US Sen. Dan Sullivan is eligible for Alaska's primary ballot, judge rules | CNN Politics

A judge ruled that a man sharing the name and Republican affiliation of U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska is eligible to appear on the state’s August primary ballot. Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews overturned a June 15 decision by Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher that had disqualified the challenger, Dan J. Sullivan, from the ballot. Matthews said the elections division’s exclusion was not grounded in the U.S. Constitution, Alaska law, or its own regulations, but instead relied on a new, previously unstated “good faith” criterion. The state could appeal to the Alaska Supreme Court, and Tuesday was cited as the deadline for a final ruling so ballots for the Aug. 18 primary can be printed. The dispute highlights uncertainty in a race Democrats are trying to flip, with Alaska’s top four primary candidates advancing to the ranked-choice November general election.